I'm looking for some solid budget grow lights for starting seeds indoors. Last year, I set up a small indoor greenhouse in my living room primarily for growing tomatoes, but I also tried my hand at cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. I used some cheap 2-foot LED grow lights from Amazon, but they didn't work well—the plants ended up tall with spindly stalks, suggesting they needed better lighting.
I have about four shelves, each roughly 30 inches wide and 18 inches deep, with around 16-18 inches between each shelf. With rising costs, I'm hoping to keep my budget around $150 max. If anyone has recommendations for lights that might work well for my setup, I'd really appreciate your input!
2 Answers
I've been using standard 3-foot LED shop lights that are about 2500 lumens, which I got from Lowe's. As long as they're positioned close to the plants, they work great for seed starting. They might not be strong enough for full-time growing, especially indoors, but for starting seeds, they do the trick just fine. I usually have 2 lights per shelf, and each one costs around $35, so it might be near your budget, but they're useful for other projects later on too! Just a heads up, I meant to say they are actually 2-foot lights, not 3!
You should definitely check out Feit! I’ve got loads of their 2-foot light bars, and they’re fantastic. They provide a full spectrum of light that you often miss with the typical shop lights. It’s perfect for what you’re trying to do!
Considering your shelf dimensions, one light per shelf should work well, but two might be overkill. Beyond 14 inches from the light to the plants, you're wasting energy since the plants won’t be able to utilize it effectively.
Yeah, I used those last year too! I might just need to increase the number I got. I think I paid around $60 for a pack of six.